Demountable tractor mower



Aug. 26, 1952 T, W PAUL 2,608,042

DEMOUNTABLE TRACTOR MOWER Y Filed 001'.. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 M "ZB I Il m INVENTOR TALBERT W. PAUL ATTORNEYS Allg- 26, 1952 T. w. PAUL DEMOUNTABLE TRACTOR MOWER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild Oct. 19, 1946 INVENTOR ERTA W. AUL

ATTORNEYS Aug. 26, 1952 '1. w. PAUL 2,608,042

' DEMOUNTABLE TRACTOR MowER Filed oct. 19, 194e v s sheets-sneek 3 f |o Y 99 97 e9 F IG. 3 90 e8 4| |29 ne 7 4 35 38 n? 9| ||9 '27 ne32j 9 no 'O2 72 1 '2| m 67 73 l2 a Y 3| 98 Y B5 el u e9 a INVENTOR TALBERT w. PAUL Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES if Freitext W. ram, Molins, 111., assignorkto Deere i &v Company, Moline, Ill., a corporation of vIllinois aspiration easter 19, isfiaseriai No. 704,407' 3 sciame. (oise-25),

-The present invention tractor mowers and morevparticularly to mowers of the type which are designed 'as attachments for tractors,A to be mounted on and `wholly supported by the body ofthe tractor during operation.

The principal object of my invention relates to the provision of .a novel and improved tractor mower which can quickly and easilybe mounted on the tractor with less effort than is required relates generally to for mounting detachablev mowers heretofore the provision of a novel and extremely simple and inexpensive device for hoisting themower frame to its mountedrposition on the tractor and which eliminates the necessity for holding the mower frame in place with one hand while bolts or other securing means are inserted with the. other hand'.

These and other objects and 'advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following description, in which reference is had to the drawings appended hereto, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View 'of a tractor with a mower motmted thereon embodying the principles of my invention, portions of the tractor being broken away to more clearly disclose the mower;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the tractor and mower mounted thereon, with 4portions of the tractor shown in section; l 1

Figure 3 is a front elevational View of the tractor and mower, one front wheel of the tractor being omitted to expose theY details of construction of the mower;

Figure 4. is a side elevational View showing a portion of the tractor, and showing in solid lines the mower frame suspended on the hoisting device-as the first step in the process of mounting the mower on the tractor, and showing in dotted lines the position of the mower frame after the front end has been mounted on the supporting stud on the tractor; and

Figure 5 is a detailed View, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the tractor crank with hoist attachments thereon.

Referring now to the drawings, the tractor is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 6 and is preferably of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,378,615 granted to Brown June 19, 1945. Briefly, the tractor 6 comprises a body or frame including a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending structural frame members 1, Sconnected at theinfo n a transverse structural Vangle member 9, and rigidly nxed at their rear ends on opposite 'sides of an yinternal combustion engine housingiii. The engine housing ID is rigidly l'connected Yto a transverse rear`- axle housing` fil, which is mounted at its `opposite ends on aV pair|` of laterally spaced rear traction wheels i2; i3. `The front end of the tractor rl iscarriedon a pair of laterally -spaced dirigiblefwheels 14,15, which are mounted on dirigiblespindles l5 carried invertical sleeves I1 which` are-.formed rigidly with a U-shaped supporting fr ame.- I8. The'center portion of the U-shaped frame luis pivotedon a fore and aft extending,l axis by means off'ra longitudinally disposed pivot pin orstud 20 `journaled in the transverse frame` member-9. Thus, the U-shaped framel I3` can pivot about the fore and aft extending axis ofthe stud 2B to equalize the weight of the tractoruponf-,the wheels 14,45. The dirigible wheelsfare connectedv by suitable steering linkage 2| with a steering; Wheel 22 disposedin front of the operators Aseat-23 on: the

tractor. l

The implement attachment is .in the form ofA a mower, generally indicated by reference numeral 3U, `which comprisesfa rigid k'frame member 3|, which is a structural angle-v member extending generally fore and aft beneath the tractor.V `vThe forward-end of '.1 the frame mem;- ber 3| is provided with a rigid, upwardly extending support 32, provided with anaperturer 33 in its upperend. The aperture 33 is adapted to slidably engage the forwardlyl projecting end portion '34 of the pivot stud 20, which is provided with a pointed head portion35r... The projecting portion 34` istapered forwardly toward the head 35 for reasons which will be explained later. s. i

The rear end of the rigidV frame member 3| is provided with an upstanding support 38 rigidly nxed thereto, comprising a plate providedwith a notch 39 extending Vforwardly' from the rear edge thereofnear the ,upper end, thereby defining a hook element' M11-which is adapted-l to hook over a transverse bolt ,41- supported ina depending plate 42 secured to the underside' of the tractor frame member Smear the rear-.end

thereof. :i l j w To facilitate mounting' the framesmember 3i on the tractor, the plate 42fisyprovided with a hole 43 spaced ahead of ythe mounting boltv 4|' and having slots 44 extending above and below the hole 4'3, as best shown'in Figure 2; The hole 43 isadapted to *receive a Shaft 4'5 having at one' end a crank handle 46. For this purpose, I prefer to use the crank supplied with the tractor 6 for starting the motor thereof. The shaft 45 is provided with a transverse pin 41 on its end opposite the handle 46, for the purpose of engaging the usual slotted crank fitting 41' (Fig-v ure 3), on the front end of a crank shaft 96. The shaft '45 is also provided with a sheave 48 mounted thereon and fixed thereto, and on which is wound a exible tension mem-ber in the form of a light chain 49, to the end of which is connected a hook 50. The opposite endof the chain 49 is fastened to the sheave 48 so that the chain 49 can be wound on the sheave 43 by rotating the shaft 45 by means of the handle 46. The sheave 48 is provided with a pair of axially projecting lugs 5| rigidly fixed thereto on opposite sides of the shaft 45, respectively. The Vlugs ,5I are adapted to be inserted into the slots 44 to hold the crank shaft 45 against rotation.

' The mower supporting frame 3|Y `can quickly and with very little effort beinstalledin mounted position upon the tractor 6 as follows: The crank shaft 45 is inserted into the hole `43 in the depending plate 42, the pin 41 passing through the slots 44 in the plate, andthe shaft 45 is shifted inwardly until the sheave 148 is adjacent the plate 42, but without inserting the lugs 5| into the slots 44.' AThe tractor is driven over the mower 3||to position the latter, as shown in solid lines in Figure 4, with the' mower 3l! lying upon the ground beneath the tractor.d The hook on the end of the chain 49 isA then engaged with an aperture 52 (see Figure 2) in the vertical flange of the frame member 3| The operator then turns-the crank handle 46 about one revolution, thereby raising the rear end of the frame member 3| clear of the ground. He then pushes the crank inwardlyv to engage the lugs 5| with the slots 44, thereby retaining the frame memberv 3| in slightly raised position. The operator then steps around to the front of the tractor and grasps a handle 53 fixed to the forward end of the frame member 3|, and pulls forwardly and upwardly on the handle 53 thereby swinging the mower frame member 3| forwardly on the chain 49 until the aperture 33 in the front support 32 can'be engaged with -the vforward end of the stud 34. The handle 53 can then be released, forv the head l35 of the studv 34 prevents the support32 from sliding ward end thereof.

The opertor then steps back to the "side of the tractor,V disengages the lugs 5| onthe crank off the for- 46 from vthe slots |44, andturns the crank 46,

winding the chainv 49 upon the sheave 48 and raising the rear end of the frame member 3| until `the notch 39 is in register with'the supporting bolt 4I, but infront of the latter. The crank is then secured in this position lby* sliding it inwardly to engage the lugs 5| with the slots 44, after which the frame member 3| can be pushed rearwardly torhookthe' hook element 46 over the bolt element 4|'. vThis causes ythe support 32 to slide rearwardly on the stud 34 to the position shown in Figure 2'. The bolty 4| is then tightened to secure the frame member in mounted position. Y

A pair of front and rear transverse bracing members 55, 56 can later be attached by bolts 51 to the forward and rearward portions of the horizontal ange of the frame member 3|, respectively, and by vother bolts 58 toy the tractor frame member 1, to rigidly iix the frame member 3| in mounted positionv onithe'tractor.`

'Ihe mower cutter bar 65 is conventional in construction and is mounted on a conventional shoe 66, which is pivotally connected to a shoe arch 61 by longitudinally aligned pivot bolts 68 in the usual manner. The shoe arch 61 is mounted on a supporting arm 69 which is inclined transversely beneath theY tractor and is turned rearwardly at 19 to provide Aa supporting portion which isjournaled in a bracket 1| rigidly fixed, as by welding, to the rear end of the frame member 3|, thereby providing for vertical swinging movement of the arm 69 and cutter bar65 about a fore and aft extending axis. The shoe arch 61 is connected to the intermediate portion of the frame member 3| by means of a tie rod 12, the outer end of which is swingably connected to a lug 13 on the shoe arch and the forward end of which is pivotally connected by a fore and aft extending pivot bolt `14 to a pair of lugs 15 welded to the'inner side of the vertical flange of the frame member 3|. The pivot bolt 14 is substantially coaxial with the rearwardly turned supporting portion 10 of the arm 69, thereby providing for vertical swinging movement of the arm and cutter bar. The cutter bar is provided with aconventional reciprocating sickle 80, which is driven by a pitman rod 8|, which extends laterally upwardly and inwardly to a journal bearing 82 on a crank 83, which is mounted on a pulley 84. The pulley 84 is mounted on a fore and aft extending shaft 85 that is journaled in a bearing casting 86 rigidly fixed by suitable bolts 81 to the vertical flange of the framemember 3|, the axis of the pulley shaft 95 being generally in alignment `with the axis of swinging movement of the arm 69 and tie rod 12.

The pulley 84 is driven by a flat belt 88 which is trained over the pulley 84 and over a drive pulley 89 mounted on the forwardly extended crank shaft 90 of the engine I6. A belt tightener 9| is provided for tightening and loosening the belt 88 relative to the driving and driven pulleys 99, 84. The belt tightener 9| includes Ya lever arm 92 comprising a pair of spaced bars between which is journaled an idler pulley 93. The arms 92 are pivotally mounted on a fore and aft extending pin 94 on a plate 95, which is' rigidly fixed to the frame member 3| The outer end of the arm 92 extends outwardly beyond the pivot pin 94 and carries a roller 96 journaled thereon on 'a transverse axis. A control lever 91 is pivotally mounted'at 98 on the frame member 3| for swinging movement in a fore and aft extending vertical plane and has at its upper end a handle 99 which is convenient to the operator on the tractor seat 23. The 'control lever 91 is provided with a rearwardly projecting camming lug |99 the upper Vedge of which is curved to engage the roller 96 and is adapted to force the latter upwardly when the lever 91 is pushed forwardly, thereby urging the idler pulley 93 against the outside surface of the belt 88 to tighten the latter. The camming surface is provided with a shallow notch ||l| .near its outer end to receive theroller 96 and retain the arm 92 in belt tightening position. A coil spring |02 is connected between the outer .end of the lever 92 near the roller 96 and the supporting frame member 3|, for the purpose of relieving the pressure of the idler 93 against the belt 88 when the control lever 91'is swung rearwardly. In Figure 2 the lever 491 is shown in belt loosening position with ythe roller 96 disengaged from the notch IUI and the spring |92 holding the arm 92 so that very little pressure is applied to the belt 88. The spring |02 also acts through the roller 96 to hold the lever 91 in a raised position. It frequently happens, however, that when the frame member 3| is lowered to dismounted position on the ground, as shown in solid lines in Figure 4, that the lever 91 is retained in raised position by the spring |02, although the belt 88 is removed from the motor pulley 89. Then, when the tractor is driven forwardly over the mower, the lever 91 engages the rear axle housing II of the tractor, but no damage is done to the belt tightening mechanism, for the lever 91 is merely pushed forwardly as the tractor drives away, bringing the camming lug IIJ!) forwardly beyond the roller 96 to allow the lever 91 to drop to the ground as shown in Figure 4.

The mower is provided with the usual conventional counterbalancing mechanism including a spring I I0, one end of which is connected to a rod III extending rearwardly beneath the axle housing |I and provided with a collar ||2 which engages a vertical channel member ||3 secured to the rear of the axle housing. The rear end of the rod I is provided with a crank handle I I4 for adjusting the tension inthe spring III). The forward end of the spring IID is secured to an arm I|5 of a bell crank I|6 which is journaled on a shaft ||1 rotatably mounted in a bearing I I8 mounted on the tractor frame member 1. The bell crank ||6 isl also provided with a rearwardly extending arm I I9 which is connected through a vertical link |20 to a lever I2I, which is one arm of a bell crank journaled on the shoe arch 61. The other arm |22 of the bell crank is Vconnected by conventional linkage |23 to an upstanding arm |24 on the cutter bar 65. Thus, the spring I6 tends to maintain the cutter bar 65 in a generally horizontal position to permit the frame to float along the ground during operation.

The mower can be raised and lowered by means of the power lift hydraulic cylinder |25 which is mounted on the tractor and provided with a piston rod |26 which is connected to an actuating arm |21 mounted on the supporting shaft 1. When the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly is extended it rotates the shaft I I1, which is provided with a lug |28 which is engageable with a lug |29 fixed to the hub of the bell crank IIB, thus forming a lost motion connection for raising the arm 69 and cutter bar 65 by power from the hydraulic cylinder |25. Normally, the lugs |28, |29 are separated to penmit the oating action of the cutter bar along the ground.

I do not intend my invention to be limited to the particular details shown and described herein, except as set forth in the following claims.

I claim: l

1. An implement attachment for a tractor having a body, comprising: a frame adapted to rest at a relatively low level in a dismounted position for elevation to a mounted position at a higher level as respects the tractor body, said frame having spaced apart portions, each including an attaching element, one in the form of an eye and the other in the form of a hook; an elongated stud having provision for connection to the tractor body at a level above that of the eye, said stud being of relatively less thickness than the size of the opening of the eye so as to be loosely receivable by and connectible to the eye to support the frame via the eye when one portion of the frame is elevated to mounted position; said difference in dimension of the eye and stud capacitating the studeye connection to provide a pivot at the studeye-supported portion of the frame about which the frame may be elevated for raising of the other frame. portion to mounted position; said hook having an entrant portion to hook over or unhook from a part of the tractor body spaced from the stud by shifting of the frame relative to the tractor body; and said stud being longer than the entrant portion of the n hook to provide for shifting of the stud-eyesupported frame lengthwise of the stud so that the frame may shift in one direction lengthwise of the stud to provide for hooking of the hook to, or in the opposite direction for unhooking of the hook from, such part of the tractor body for respectively eiectingmounting or dismounting position of the frame.

2. The invention dened in claim 1, further characterized in that: the stud has a retaining head portion beyond the length of the stud necessary for shifting of the frame to eiect hooking and unhooking of the hook and serving to prevent accidental disengagement of the eye therefrom.

3. The invention dened in claim l, further characterized in that: the portion of the frame having the eye further has a handle element to n facilitate manual elevation and lowering of the frame.

4. The invention dened in claim 1, further characterized in that: the portion of the frame having the hook includes means cooperative with such part of the tractor to releasably secure the frame against shifting in such direction as will effect unhooking of the hook.

5. The invention defined in claim 1, further characterized in that: said stud being relatively narrower in lateral dimension than the eye so that the stud-eye connection is cooperative to provide a pivot on the principal axis of the stud for accommodating shifting of the frame laterally.

6. In an agricultural tractor on which an implement may be mounted or to which an im-v plement may be connected, such tractor having REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: f

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,340,461 Ronning et al May 18, 1920 1,404,069 Swinehart Jan. 17, 1922 Y' 2,172,987 Mott Sept. 12. 1939 2,245,448 Simpson June 10, 1941 2,260,668 Horste Oct. 28, 1941 2,368,290 Donald Jan. 30, 1945 2,407,006 Harris Sept. 3,1946 

